The community is gearing up for a spooky holiday celebration with its annual Halloween Parade and PSD’s Halloween Safety Event. Plans are moving forward to give a new life to the Good Shepherd Plaza. At Southtown, planned work will be going ahead in preparation for the new building 7. New classes are opening up at Sportspark and applications for Public Purpose Funds will soon be available online– we hope you can take advantage of the great resources Roosevelt Island has to offer.

Halloween Parade

Ghosts, witches, pumpkins and more will be marching on Main Street! The Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade & Extravaganza is taking place today, October 26 at 12 PM. Urban American is sponsoring the Island tradition with support from RIOC and the R.I. Youth Center. The march begins at noon near Blackwell House at 500 Main St. – everyone is invited to come out in costume and march with their neighbors, friends and family. Once the parade march is over, follow the crowd to Capobianco Field for a free community celebration offering games, rides, treats and giveaways. In the event of inclement weather, the celebration will take place at P.S./I.S. 217 (645 Main St.).

PSD: Halloween Safety Event

Public Safety will be partnering with Safe Kids NYC to present their annual Halloween Safety Day at the Roosevelt Island Public Library (524 Main St.). Kids can come to the Library at 4:30 PM on October 31 to learn about how to have a safe and fun holiday. PSD’s Youth Officer Michelle Williams will be present to provide additional safety tips and goodie bags for the children. The Roosevelt Island Public Safety department reminds you to keep safety in mind while you celebrate – and to stop by the Public Safety office for some treats on Halloween!

Public Purpose Grants

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation will soon be issuing application materials for the 2014-2015 Public Purpose Funds. Public Purpose Funds are allocated to benefit Roosevelt Island residents, enhancing their quality of life through education, artistic and cultural enrichment, improved health or a better environment. Roosevelt Island not-for-profit groups who are looking for additional funding are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit the RIOC website beginning the first week of November at rioc.ny.gov/grants.htm .

Good Shepherd Plaza

Plans are in motion to revitalize the open space at the Good Shepherd Plaza – expect to see upgrades to the Plaza’s seating options and greenery in the upcoming months. We would like to extend our thanks to the community committee members who have worked together with RIOC on the design and provided valuable input on the needs of the residents.

Southtown Construction

Hudson/Related will soon be starting the municipal infrastructure work that is scheduled to be completed prior to the start of construction of Southtown’s Building 7. It involves laying new sewer pipe on the site and decommissioning a small portion of the existing pipe as contemplated in the original plan for the Southtown development. The team has been working closely with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and RIOC to finalize and execute this plan which is expected to commence October 23 and to be completed by the end of November. As the team will be working with the septic system, workers will be wearing protective gear – this should not be a cause for alarm as it is just a precautionary measure against contact with septic materials.

Motorgate Garage

In order to address the issue of abandoned cars in the Motorgate Garage, Central Parking has begun issuing letters to owners notifying them to remove their vehicles from the facilty. Cars that remain unclaimed after 30 days of receipt of the letter will be subject to towing and disposal. When a transient car has been left in the garage for 30 days, or a car with a monthly permit is left for longer than 60 days without paying for a space and the owner does not respond to requests to move the vehicle, it is classified as abandoned. Though every effort is made to contact the owner, this becomes virtually impossible if the license plates and/or vehicle identification number are removed. If you believe your car may be considered abandoned, please contact Central Parking at 212-832-4585.

Sportspark

New classes are coming to Sportspark! Zumba classes began October 14 and are now meeting every Monday at 6:30 PM, Thursday at 8:30 PM, and Saturday at 10:00 AM. Classes are one hour long and the class fee is only $5. Also, the wait for parent-and-child swim classes is over: registration for Mommy & Me classes is now open online at rioc.ny.gov! With each class, you’ll watch your child’s confidence and swimming skills grow as they have fun in the water.

Sportspark’s pool, along with the rest of the facility, is currently heated by the Steam Plant. We have received several inquiries from the community regarding the shutdown of Sportspark when the Plant is decommissioned; however, we are pleased to note that a long closure is not anticipated at that time. When the Steam Plant closes, RIOC will be prepared to implement a temporary boiler system that will already be in place to heat the facility and pool until the permanent heating system is installed. Closure during the installation of the temporary system is not expected to exceed one week; closure for installation of the permanent system should not exceed two weeks. The exact date of the Steam Plant’s shutdown is not known, but we will work hard to ensure that the closure of Sportspark is as short as possible.

I am aware of Frank Farance's recent blog post. He had many things to say but one thing he said is important and true: RIRA delegates need to be responsive to their constituents. I would like to elaborate on that theme of responsiveness.

How do we know what our constituents want? What is important to them?

My candidate’s platform focused on the setting up of a way to easily and quickly reach out to the residents of the island for the purposes of eliciting viewpoints, lobbying elected and appointed officials and reaching out to neighbors in need. We have been putting our agendas on line and our minutes and meeting notes. We have set up a Facebook page and have provided the community with a way to contact us on RIRAonline.com. We have handed out questionnaires at many events. CBS gives our team $2,500.

On Tuesday October 15, drivers found themselves snarled in traffic on Main Street on the way up the helix ramp and over the bridge. The cause was an all day lane closure during a TV shoot for the CBS television show “Elementary”. The CBS Assistant Location Manager Rob Herling was very responsive to our RIRA team effort of asking that our community be compensated for our inconvenience. He immediately contacted his Location Manager David Chambers who gave the final approval on the donation. CBS was very cooperative and moved the process along very quickly. Location shoots are a fabulous example of good teamwork. RIRA is expecting a check for $2,500 that we will use to benefit our residents. We really appreciate the assistance.

The RIRA teamwork that helped us ask for the donation is worth mentioning. The simple efforts of five people at RIRA allowed us to be in a position to ask for the money. Former RIRA president Matthew Katz noticed the RIOC lane closure announcement and alerted me of the shoot. With the guidance of Christina Delfico (IDig2Learn) who is a TV producer and Island resident I created a letter of introduction and request. I sent out a request for a volunteer to physically go to the location as I was unable to get there. RIRA member Steve Heller volunteered immediately and within the hour delivered my letter to the location manager who called me almost immediately and told me what I needed to do. I followed his directions and Russell Fields our treasurer followed up. Thank you everyone who helped and a big “Ben Hug” of appreciation to CBS show “Elementary”.

CERT search effort

Another team effort occurred on October 18. OEM deployed the Community Emergency Response Team to search for Avonte Oquendo the missing autistic teen. In less than an hour after a directed request we had gathered 16 people from a combination of CERT, CERT trainees and RIRA to search for Avonte. OEM called for this deployment and Director McManus briefed us on the specifics of the search. We broke up into three search parties to scan the seawall area at low tide. Two public safety officers (Torrens and Yee) went with us. The two groups who went with the officers said they were attentive and professional. Some of the RIRA members who had earlier in the year challenged these public safety officers were nicely working shoulder to shoulder in peaceful collaboration to a common goal: Searching for a disabled and at-risk teenager missing for two weeks. This goes to show that in different circumstances people show up in different ways. I commend Jack McManus for the professional manner in which he briefed us, set up communications, sent us out in groups and used available public safety officers to work with us. This search effort may have never had much more than a slim chance of success but it was one more way for different elements of our community to experience working collaboratively. “Ben Hugs” to Jack McManus, Officer Torrens and Yee and the CERT, CERT class and RIRA who made the search possible on Roosevelt Island. We wish Avonte’s family, friends and school peace at this difficult time.

The people who made themselves available with a half hour notice were Philipp Mirow, Vicki Feinmel, Susan Marcus, Gwendolyn Ryals,Gary Bunie, Joyce Mincheff, joward Polivy, Russell Fields, Margie Smith, Ellen Polivy, Betty Godwin, Helen Chirivas, Karine Wong, Scot Bobo. Many more said they would have come with the right timing.

RIRA/RIOC relations

I believe that RIRA and RIOC should create a cooperative working relationship because that is the easiest way to get things done. RIRA exists as a sounding board for community concerns. Bring your concerns to us, or loop us in when you have direct discussions with RIOC. RIRA will try to balance your perspective with your neighbors’ viewpoints, and then work to make change happen.

Volunteers needed for Boy Scout Girl Scouts and more

I read with disappointment in the September WIRE that Geoff Kerr is retiring and there will be no more Boy Scout troop. I was heartened by RIOC Director Margie Smith’s response in the following WIRE that had RIOC been contacted, they would have found a space for them. There never was a girl scout troop. Many of us remember fondly the fun of Scouting days. Would anyone consider becoming a scout leader? Let me know. RIRA will work with RIOC to find space.

I urge everyone who wants to change things to the positive, join a committee and be a good team member. RIRA is planning a series of events that celebrate Island artists. Join the Social Cultural and Educational committee and help make this happen. Everyone has alternate time commitments. I myself have my own very busy work and personal life. However, when you make a decision to join the team, time expands to fit the work.

The Roosevelt Island Women’s Health Organization

I recently got the schedule for the year from RIWHO. Their offerings look great. Their monthly seminars are not just educational but they are fun. Women get together to eat, learn and talk, the perfect combination. The RIWHO mission is to empower women to be attentive to their health and to create habits that lead to a healthy life style. Each meeting include training in meditation, good nutrition and then a special health topic of the day. Topics include weight loss and surgery, recipes for healthy food preparation, tips on being a natural beauty, keeping young and fit, how not to abuse prescription drugs, disposal of prescription medication, stress relief, homeopathic remedies, folk remedies and more, Mark your calendar for Wednesdays October 23, November 20, December 18, January 29, February 28, March 26, Aril 30. What looks like the most fun is their “spa” day in May and a “boat ride” in June. Watch the WIRE and the kiosks for more specifics. Hope to see you there. I hope you don’t get tired of me giving “Ben Hugs”, but so many people deserve it. “Ben hugs” to Laila Amatullah for founding this important organization and to her working board of directors who keep the organization going; Mary Coleman, Elaine Belton, Sheryl Glenn, Marilyn Atkins, Barbara Parker, Eileen Sheehy, Wendy Hersh, and Andy Reddick.

After much planning, everyone at Cornell Tech is excited to be nearing the start of construction on the Island, expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014. In anticipation of this significant milestone, we are now setting in motion a series of activities designed to keep all Islanders fully informed and to ensure we fulfill our commitments to the community.

Next week we will convene the Cornell Tech Community & Construction Task Force. The twelve member task force includes a number of Island community leaders, including representatives appointed by and representing: Community Board 8; Council Member Lappin; Assemblyman Kellner; Senator Serrano; Congresswoman Maloney; and Borough President Stringer.

The goal of the task force is to provide a forum for these representatives of the community to be well versed in the campus development, to bring issues forward, and to have an ongoing dialogue with members of the Cornell Tech team. It will be a place to provide forward-looking information and to ensure that the campus and residents are in close communication throughout construction.

In addition to creating this task force, we want to ensure that all members of the community have direct access to information about the construction project. Next week we will launch our new construction website. The website – construction.tech.cornell.edu – will be a repository for detailed information about the construction process, and will be updated regularly so Islanders know exactly what’s going on at the site and what to expect in the days and weeks to come. Once construction starts, I encourage everyone to check the site regularly for updates.

All of this activity is a precursor to the anticipated start of construction early next year. Detailed planning for the first phase of the campus is going very well – such as how barging will be accomplished, and bringing on Forest City Ratner as a development partner. We look forward to sharing these exciting plans and new images of our buildings in the coming months.

Keeping the community informed is just one of the important commitments that Cornell Tech has made to the community. Cornell has a proud history of being a good neighbor and community partner, and we intend to exceed those expectations on Roosevelt Island. In addition to the measures I’ve already described, we will implement a robust communications program that will include announcing a designated community liaison and conducting regular town hall meetings. For the construction itself, we have taken extraordinary measures to minimize the impact of construction on the Island, including significantly reducing truck trips by re-using demolished materials on-site, implementing an aggressive barging program and adhering to the most stringent air quality standards and monitoring.

As we approach the start of construction – and really establish a physical presence on the island – I thank everyone again for all of the great support you have shown. By bringing a state-of-the-art sustainable campus, beautiful new public open spaces, increased economic activity, educational programs for public school students and access to university programming to Roosevelt Island, Cornell Tech plans to be an integral part of the Island’s future success.

NYCRUNS Haunted Island 5K
Oct 26, 2013
Start time: 10:00 a.m. start. Race-day packet pickup begins at 8:00.
Firefighters Field
Address: Roosevelt Island Roosevelt Island, NY
Rumor has it that Roosevelt Island has been overrun by all manner of scary things (zombies in particular). Join us in the madness for this Halloween 5K with a superb after party including a great live band and a Halloween themed post-race spread. Goblins and ghouls of all ages are welcome. This event is run in conjunction with Zombies Take Manhattan!

We are thrilled to partner with Ricky’s, New York’s warehouse for all of your costume needs, for this event! Registered runners will receive a discount on their costume purchases at Ricky’s Halloween super stores....

... that due to the 5K Race there will be No Parking on the West Drive between 405 Main St. and 475 Main St. from 6:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 26th and Sunday, October 27, 2013. Any vehicles found in violation will be summonsed and towed.

Roosevelt Island's Rivercross Board of Directors are meeting with its shareholders tonight at the Good Shepherd Community Center to present an update on its privatization plans for the building to exit the Mitchell Lama Program.

At 7 PM this evening I tried to attend the meeting in order to report on this important Roosevelt Island issue but was denied entry to the Good Shepherd auditorium by the Rivercross Board although I was advised that the Rivercross Board would be willing to speak with me tomorrow.

Below is an excerpt from Rivercross Board of Directors memo to its shareholders summarizing portions of the privatization plan.

...The plan will allow owners of Rivercross apartments to sell them at market prices, giving up to the cooperative a 45% transfer fee on the portion of the selling price that exceeds their original Mitchell-Lama purchase price. Under the plan, when owners give or bequeath apartments to adult offspring, parents, or spouses, this transfer fee will be deferred until the recipient sells at some future time...

Estimates provided for preparation of the privatization plan suggest that the largest apartments in the building will sell for over one million dollars. For all sizes, the estimates (in thousands) are:

UPDATE 10/24 - How much did the Roosevelt Island Rivercross building co-op owners pay for their NY State Mitchell Lama subsidized apartments? According to this 2005 NY Times article:

... Discussions have also begun about privatizing Rivercross, a Mitchell-Lama co-op where an average one-bedroom apartment now goes for $33,000 and an average three-bedroom for $54,000. Privatizing would entitle Rivercross owners to sell their apartments at market rate, but they would be subject to substantial flip taxes in order to keep the maintenance charges reasonable.

"We don't want to increase maintenance so much that people will have to leave," said Mr. Weatherhead, the board's president. "We are a middle-income building and don't want to privatize ourselves onto the street."...

Yet another series of fantastic games this last Saturday (Oct. 19) ! Congratulations to all players and their coaches of the Roosevelt Island Youth Program Soccer. The games were thrilling to watch, and the scores were close!!

Very impressive, and without your work with your coaches this would not be possible. Please take a moment to thak your coaches and assistant coaches for their dedication and support! JOB WELL DONE!!

In the Minors division, the teams are starting to show a coherent approach to the games. The players are becoming aware of their formations on the field. Passes are frequent and the goal kicks abundant. Noteworthy in the defense are Emily Highsmith (in James Highsmith's Blue team) as well as Emilia Brown (on James Brown's Red team) who pursued the "attacking ball" and placed it out of danger on many occasions. Another noteworthy player is Heaven Leon (from Tony Leon's Orange team) who wore numerous hats during the game, between guarding the notoriously clever player Sebastian Navarro (from John Evan's Bordeaux team) to dribbling through the solid defense of the Orange team. It was also beautiful to watch Darnell Wilkins-Payne play marvelously as a goalie in the first half to center offense in the second; as well as Isiah Sadlier solid defense (both on Dan Sadlier's Black team). Mark Block's Yellow team had a great win with the help of Miguel Conciello and Jake Lee.

Defense on all four Junior teams did a heroic job in protecting their goal keepers who, in turn, were amazing at not allowing the ball to cross the goal line! It was spine-tingling to watch the offense players with the crucial support of the midfield players to coordinate the attacks! Zara Haider and Madison Luna (on Jesse Krieg's Orange team) were relentless in their defense as well as the trio of Muad Kurer, Galen Bennie, and Antun Madela Obou in their accurate passes and powerful kicks on the same team. Noteworthy on Johan Marfey's Blue team is Kristen Leopold who scored 10 goals so far this season, as well as Nisany McDonald and Majd Matug who stepped up their efforts to bring the team to a third win in a row. Nickolas Drougos on Patrick Reidy's Yellow team made several crucial saves as a goalie, and Tia Young along with Markeysha Sadlier did a heroic job in defending the goal. Noteworthy on Jack McManus' Red team are Kaia Keaton who was unrelenting in acquiring the ball away from the attacking team in her mid-field position; Kristophina did an imposing triumph as a defensive player on the same team.

Both Seniors games were a marvel to watch. Daniel Folla's Purple team pulled together as one unit with precise passes, both short and long distance, vs. Boris Lissassi's Yellow team who's offense players were skilled and masterful in dribbling. Noteworth players on the Purple team where Ariel Navarro who put 110% effort in energy, tactics, and prowess. Also on the Purple team Christopher Ewing, the new comer, energized the team with his omnipresence from midfield to offensive positions.Tatiana Dickens' powerful kicks stopped every attempt of attack on her side of defense. Newsworthy on the Yellow team were the trio of Ian Chapman, Namkhye Tobgyel and Aron Pazmino a powerful offensive trio. Sunshine Martin and Kiran Narine were marvelous at defense.

The second game between Cesar Rodriguez' Blue vs. Frantz Enama's Orange team kept the spectators at the edge of their seats. Blaise Enama on the Orange team scored his 10th goal and showcased his brilliant skills on the field. Noah Palm was teary eyed when he scored a sensational goal. Finally Francine Elisaia was unrivaled in her persuit after the ball with speed and control.

On the Blue team Alessandro Cartegni marvelled as a true Milanese fan with a strong midfield challenges as well as Santiago Felix in his unremitting control of the ball. Jan'niah Payne successfully intercepted numerous attempts from the Orange team to sneak into her Blue team's defensive lines.

Here are some scenes from RIYP Soccer Games at Octagon Field last weekend.

Stop on by Saturday to watch some exciting youth soccer and cheer on are local kids.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Roosevelt Island Women's Health Organization (RIWHO) sends the following invitation to women 18 years and older for their October 23 Monthly Seminar. The meeting will take place 6:30 PM Wednesday October 23 at 546 Main Street Community Room on the 12th floor.

Monday, October 21, 2013

You're invited to the annual Roosevelt Island Halloween Day Parade. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Come out to Roosevelt Island's annual Halloween Day Parade for some spooky and FREE family-friendly fun! The parade takes place Saturday, October 26th, from 12 PM to 3 PM. We invite you to come to Blackwell House (500 Main St.) in costume and join the community as we march up Main Street. A completely free Halloween celebration will follow - explore an array of Halloween-related booths; enjoy treats, games, rides and much more. Don't miss out - come celebrate Halloween in style!

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WELCOME TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND

Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!

Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.